Hope
by TatiElina
Summary: Dick, Wally, Conner, Roy, and Jason's life in juvie. No capes. Inspired by "Girls Incarcerated". Dark and sad, and life's hard, but at least you have your friends. (And family/) Ch4. Dick centered :)
1. Chapter 1

A/N (Pointless, feel free to skip): Well, I'm not gonna lie, this was 1000% inspired by Netflix's "Girls Incarcerated". So here we are, in Juvie, with our DC boys :)

This story will mostly center around the BatBoys and their redheaded besties. LOL. Oh and Conner Kent. xD But I'm open to adding more boys, so if you have someone you want to see, let me know~

This is all about Family Drama/Boy Drama, no romances, other than Dinah and Ollie of course, because they're my ride or die. ;)

Warning: This story WILL be dark,like..._dark_. As in, think about the worst thing the boys have done/gone through in the shows/comics and that's where we're headed, so. Fair warning.

Title inspired by Wally's hope speech in Heroes in Crisis. 3 Please Review~

* * *

**_Hope_**

_"...hope isn't denying who you are or what you've been through. What you lost. Hope is knowing what you carry with you. How heavy is the load. How easy it'd be to stay still, to do nothing. To yield to the weight and fall to the mud. And yet despite that burden...or maybe because of it...**you're still running.**" -Wally West_

"I haven't seen him in _four_ months."

"I know." The blond woman nodded in understanding and frustration she couldn't show Roy. Of course she knew that his father hadn't been by the detention center in the past four months. She knew how much it hurt the teenager,and she knew that no matter how much he pretended it didn't bother him...of course it did.

"So, is he going to come?"

Dinah looked up from her laptop and gave him a look. The kind of look you might give a limping, unwanted, unloved dog- he couldn't help but notice.

"Honey, I don't know. We've talked about this; you have a lot of people that love you and want you to succeed, but above all, YOU need to be on your side, you need to fight for yourself-"

"He's not coming." Roy muttered, annoyed. He'd heard it all before, and it's not like he disagreed with Dinah, but how was he supposed to 'fight for himself' and believe in himself, or whatever, when his own father wanted nothing to do with him?

"Do you want to call him?"

"He's not even going to answer."

"Well, let's call and invite him, at least." She insisted, dialing a number she knew from memory. With the other juvenile delinquents she might have to look up numbers, but not with this one.

"I can't talk to him right now, Pretty Bird." Oliver answered quickly; he knew that when she was calling from Central Star's landline, it was official counselor business. His meeting wasn't for another hour, but still...

He _didn't _have time. He didn't _want_ to have time.

"Oliver. I'm about to put you on speaker." She told him in a tone that clearly meant, 'Stop being an idiot, you idiot'.

"Alright" The woman began, moving the base of the phone closer to the teenager. "Roy, your dad's on the line."

"...Hey…" The green eyed boy half-whispered. He hadn't spoken to the man in two weeks. It was always hard. Oliver had been so upset, so incredibly disappointed and hurt by Roy's drug use, and even though part of the reason Roy had started with that garbage in the first place had been to hurt the man the way he'd hurt him with his neglect and ambivalence, in the end, the worst part about getting addicted to heroin had been seeing the hurt on Oliver's face when he found out.

"Hey. What is it? I have a meeting." Curt and dry were usual for his interactions with his son, lately.

"..." The boy looked down, and didn't say anything, until Dinah put a hand on his arm in encouragement.

"Saturday is family day at Central Star...I-"

"Roy. I'll try-but no promises. I'm really busy. Is that it?"

"Yeah, that's it, you stupid asshole!" He yelled, though he had already hung up, and Oliver didn't hear any of that. It was Dinah who had to listen to his anger, and admonish him for the language, though in truth, she didn't blame him at all.

"I know it's hard, Roy...but watch your language if you want to keep your levels, okay?" She hated that she had to be "Counselor" and couldn't just be "Mom", but Roy caught enough flak for being a "rich white kid" with drug problems, whose "MOM" worked in the system. She wouldn't lie, he did get special privileges, but that didn't mean he was any happier than the rest of the boys.

* * *

Jason Todd tightened his grip on his lunch tray as he made the long walk to the table where his brother always sat. He absolutely hated meal times because he had to be surrounded by more of these idiots. He'd been at Central Star for only two weeks, he was still in "Intake", which meant he hadn't started school, and hadn't really made any friends. He felt like he was slowly losing his mind.

"It's that dumb,angry jerk ."

"He thinks he's a bad-ass "

"He thinks he's so cool because he has a tattoo."

"He does?"

"Well, I think that's what the squiggle on his arm is supposed to be." One of the boys said, and laughed, and then his group of friends joined in and Jason had to resist the urge to take his tray and smack the boy in the face... like he'd done earlier that week; Instead he went and sat next to his brother, Wally, and Roy.

"I hate this place!" The 15 year old frowned, sitting down and taking a bite of his bread. "And the food is garbage, what is this? Are they trying to poison us?" He ranted on, as the other three boys looked at his with mirth in their eyes.

Each boy had been there much longer than 2 weeks, and in a way, the place was home.

Dick and Roy had been there the longest. Roy due to... well, drugs. He'd made some appalling choices while under the influence, and yes, he regretted it, but he also couldn't be sure that he wouldn't go right back to them as soon as he was released. What else did he have? He had Dinah, who was his "dad's" girlfriend. She was nice, and she believed in him. Part of him wanted to do it just for her, just so one day she could be proud of him, but the other part, where rubbish lived? It overwhelmed him. It made him want to sink into the dark abyss of nothingness.

He'd met Richard Grayson on his first day, they had both been new. Dick was an enigma. Happy-go-lucky and a talker. Central Star did everything by last names, which meant that 'Grayson' and 'Harper' were always next to each other. They'd become fast friends, somehow Roy's impulsive, cheeky nature complemented Dick's happy, calm nature perfectly. There was a mystery surrounding the raven haired boy. Nobody knew what he'd done that had landed him in "jail". As talkative as Dick was, when asked, he'd just say "Attendance". It didn't make sense, but Roy had learned not to ask about it.

Wally West had arrived at the facility two month after Dick and Roy. He hadn't been shy about his mistakes at all. Joyriding that had given birth to grand theft auto. He wasn't proud. He wanted to do his time, honestly and without problems, and then get out. Of course, that had been before becoming friends with Dick and Roy, and now part of him almost wanted to stay. He didn't want to be alone, and outside the walls of Central Star, he didn't have friends.

"Well, if you're not going to eat your soup, I'll have it" Wally smiled genuinely, as Jason passed the bowl.

"I don't know how you can eat this garbage, West."

"I have a fast immune syst-" Wally's explanation was interrupted by a loud fight breaking out; apparently someone _HAD_ decided to take Jason's "signature move" and smack another inmate with their lunch tray. The group of friends turned to watch the commotion. To Wally, it just seemed like a new kid was trying to show off. To Richard Grayson, it looked like one of his old classmates had had found himself at Central Star.

"...I think I know that guy. I think... that's Conner Kent!"

To Be Continued...


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_"Have I disappointed you?" -Dick Grayson_

* * *

**Dorms 2: 30 AM**

Dick tossed and turned in his bed, he hadn't had the nightmares in weeks, but suddenly they were back. He wasn't **supposed** to be here. This wasn't supposed to be his life. He was supposed to be the happy, nice guy... the son that could actually sleep through the night, despite the traumas that he had lived through. It was Jason that could never sleep. It was Jason who had lived a hell-ish life, it was Jason who could never get rid of the anger. Dick was the boy who was free...

And yet, he wasn't.

He wasn't free at all.

And at night, instead of falling in to the arms of sweet dreams, he was remembering the last conversation with his father.

_"Have I disappointed you?" _He had asked the man. He had asked it clearly, with no pretenses. No beating around the bush, no mumbling his worries, the question had been clear and bold, and it had dared for an answer.

In the man's defense, he had stood there, and taken it in, but that was all he had done. Stood there, while Dick asked the question that had plagued his mind for years.

An answer had never come.

"Oh, Richard..." Roy was climbing up the bunk bed, and throwing himself next to Dick.

"When you move like a lunatic, you shake the whole bed... and I CAN'T sleep!" He yelled, punching his friend. Having the bottom bunk had absolutely no redeeming qualities.

"Sorry."

"...Reliving_ that_ conversation with the old man?" They had had the conversation many times before. Roy was of the opinion that Bruce Wayne was a pretentious ass, and he didn't know why Dick wanted his approval.

"Yeah, I guess, I don't know...I just-"

"I don't get why you give him the time of day. Screw him!"

Dick half smiled at that, not wanting to point out the hypocrisy, but...

"Same with Oliver?"

"It's different with me and Ollie."

"How?"

The green-eyed youth sighed deeply. "I don't know. He's an ass. He's the worst, and I know he is, but that's the thing about it, everyone know that he's the one with the issues, he's the one that fucked up. And yeah, it took him a LONG time, but nowadays even he'll admit that he's the one that screwed up first, but with you guys and Bruce... you think _you're _ the screw-ups. He makes you feel like you constantly need his approval. And that's _shit. " _

"Well, to be fair, we're the ones in Juvie..."

"Well, to be fair, shut up!" Roy laughed before getting up and starting the climb down to his own bed. "Stop waking me up, or I'm going to get the authorities involved!"

"_Who? _Your _mom? " _

"That's what I said, you twat!" Roy flipped him off, but it was with a smile, because that's the way things were between them.

* * *

**Therapy 11 AM **

Dinah looked at the young man, he was folding his arms, scowling, and glaring out her half-open window. He was in Central Star's regular uniform, which consisted of a white polo shirt and black slacks, but he somehow managed to look sloppy all the same. He was digging his nails into the armchair in front of her desk. He hadn't said anything for the past six minutes, and she wondered if she should repeat her question.

"Jason? Do you have any reservations about returning home?' She finally asked again. Jason was a street kid, tough. He'd needed to be, thanks to his biological parents -who were absolute screw ups. His mother had overdosed, his father was in jail.

He'd been adopted by Bruce Wayne almost two years ago, and that had obviously helped him...but it had also hurt him. He found it so hard to fit into the new world, and as much as everyone had tried...in the end, his anger had won out. For the moment, anyway. Dinah Lance didn't give up on people.

"...Nah." He shrugged. He hated therapy, no offense to the blonde, but what the hell were _words_ going to do? What were they supposed to be accomplishing? It was bullshit. _Words_ had never stopped his mother from taking more drugs, or drinking until she didn't know where she was. Words hadn't stopped her from ... And his father? His father was a garbage person. _Words_ were never going to change that. What did 'Ms. Lance' know? Jason looked around the perfectly organized office-it was all so _fake. _

"Great, well, it looks like Bruce is attending family day on Saturday so I'll be sure to-"

"Yeah, okay, whatever, can I go now?" He rolled his eyes and got up.

"...Of course, Jason. Have a nice day."

* * *

**Courtyard 4:10 PM **

"She's just clueless" Jason was complaining to Conner and Wally in the yard. "She obviously doesn't know anything about the _real _world. Girl like her, she don't know shit." He frowned, punching the ground.

"Wait, who?" Conner had arrived in the middle of the conversation.

"The blond bitch who wants to 'fix' us" Jason had no problem saying, despite the fact that one of the guards was walking by.

"Todd, language! That's 20 demerits-"

"I don't give a fu-!" The youth started, and suddenly a new argument with the guard started, as Conner and Wally shrugged at each other. Jason had anger issues.

"Who?"

"Dinah. She's the therapist, you'll meet her." Wally smiled at him, slapping his back. "Don't worry, she's really cool, Jason's just...Jason."

"I think I did meet her, blond, insanely good looking? "

Now the redhead had to laugh, falling back on to the grass. It's not like it wasn't true, but...

"Yes, and yes, but be warned that she is Roy's 'kind-of-mom', and if he hears you say that, he'll probably murder you." No, not probably. Definitely, and then Wally would have to help hide the body, really, it was a lose-lose situation.

"What's a 'kind-of mom'?"

"She's engaged to his dad or something, but Oliver's a major loser, who's afraid of commitment, so...they've been engaged for like 9 years..."

Conner nodded like he understood, but he'd never really been privy to dysfunctional adult relationships. His ma and pa had been pretty...dull. Perfectly nice people who had raised him right. They'd taught him right from wrong, and he knew all about manners and hospitality, and maybe if he had never found out...he would have grown up in that house, and in that town, and met and married some perfectly dull girl...and lived happily ever after. A big part of him still wanted those things.

But then Pa had died.

And his mother had wanted Clark, his brother, to finish raising him. She had said that it would be good for them, and that she was too old and heart-sick to have him around, anyway.

Conner hadn't understood why, Clark had his own family, his wife Lois and their baby Jon...

_He_ was needed in Smallville, with his mother...His elderly mother, who was getting weaker, and sicker, and finally she had left the mortal world as well- but not before telling him the truth, that he was Clark's biological child.

Clark hadn't been thrilled when the truth came out. He'd acted like the hurt party- like _he _was the victim. Conner had done his best to take it all in stride, to hold on to what his parents had taught him, to forgive...

He'd moved in with his new family, had gone to school and tried to get good grades... That's where he'd met Richard Grayson, and they'd become fast friends, which was par for the course with Dick.

All was well. All was well. _All was well..._

Except there was new anger, and resentment Conner hadn't known could exist inside a person...and one day it had all mixed in his head, the hurt, betrayal...and _so _much anger. And that's when it had happened.

* * *

**Cafeteria 5:35 PM **

"Where's Jaybird?" Roy asked Wally as soon as he sat down for dinner. The two had been hanging out in the courtyard...

"He got in trouble. "

There was a collective groan from the group, but truthfully nobody was actually surprised.

"He's never going to get out of here, I swear" Dick told his friends, as he started breaking his bread and dipping it in to his soup. "What?" He asked Conner, who was staring at him.

"Nothing, it's just that, do you remember that one etiquette class we were required to attend before, what was it, the Summer ball?"

"I remember. Ms. Perdita talked about the proper way to eat a roll for the first thirty minutes." He recalled, and did the opposite of what the woman had taught them.

"So, _old classmate_" Roy frowned, unsure if he liked the guy. "What's your deal? You don't look like a city kid."

"I'm not. Dick and I just spent last summer in boarding school. After my parents died..." He wasn't sure how to explain it without sounding like he belonged on a soap opera. "Well, my brother and his family needed some time to figure out what to do with me, I guess...so."

"Dickie, you were in summer school? Le gasp!" Wally interrupted, with exaggerated facial expressions and everything.

"It was kind of Bruce's last ditch effort to...fix me, I guess." The boy shrugged. "but it was cool, I met Conner, who was dealing with the most 'le gasp' situation ever..."

"Do tell!" Wally looked over at the taller raven haired boy, who looked slightly uncomfortable, but wasn't going to keep secrets. _He _wasn't going to be that kind of man.

"Well, when Ma got sick, she told me that she was actually my grandma. I was raised by my grandparents, while my brother, dad, whatever, just pretended I didn't exist. Fun times."

"Shiiiit." Roy whistled, deciding immediately that he _did _like Conner. For him to be sitting there, so relaxed and truthful about his messed up family, well, Roy could appreciate the honesty. "That's messed up, Kent."

"Definitely, Harper, definitely."

To Be Continued...

A/N: Thanks to all who who reviewed/faved/followed/Kudo'd this. haha. Much love.

I'm undecided who I want as my warden, it's kind of between Arthur Curry and J'onn J'onzz... or maybe Alfred! haha!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_"I'll never really know why I turned to drugs. Maybe it was a way to hurt Ollie, like he'd hurt me. And when he found me that day, and recognized me for a junkie-I could see how much I had hurt him- and somehow that was the worst pain of all" - Roy Harper_

* * *

Family day was always an interesting day, The warden would prep the staff on what it might look like. He'd encourage them to keep a close eye on those that didn't have anyone attending. It was a hard day for the boys that didn't get visitors. Hell, sometimes it was a hard day for the ones that did.

For Conner Kent, it was awkward. His "father" was there, acting like he definitely wasn't related to the kid- It had been Lois' idea for sure, but Conner tried to be grateful anyway. It was at least nice to see Jon, his 5 year old little brother, who had always adored him, and even more so since finding out they were brothers. Conner wasn't sure the kid really understood anything, but he was grateful for the unconditional love.

Dick and Jason had Alfred, who had shown up with muffins to distract them from the fact that Bruce had decided not to attend.

Wally had Barry and Iris, his aunt and uncle, and they managed to cheer him up, at least, until they'd had to leave early.

Roy had Dinah… and that wasn't enough. She was officially "off" that day, and could make the argument that she was there just for him, but of course it wasn't the same. Oliver really wasn't going to make it, and it made him angry and broke his heart all at the same time.

"He's such a fucking asshole…" He told Dinah. Oliver had said he'd try...Roy should have known that was just code for, 'No. I have better things to do.'

"Roy, chill. He told me he was coming…" They had an important 'announcement' to make and if she had to tell Roy all alone, she _would _murder Oliver Jonas Queen.

"Yeah, and you believed him? Dinah, I thought you were smarter than that." He scowled, and couldn't help that he was breathing deep and ugly.

"I know you're angry, and that's okay, but you really need to find your zen." She 'warned' half-heartedly.

"He's still mad I wrecked his car." Roy said in a half sob that caught her completely by surprise. She quickly hugged her son tightly. The 'final straw' for Oliver, and what had landed the kid in juvenile detention had been a drugged up driving incident. He had stolen Oliver's red convertible...and wrecked it beyond repair; crashing into the neighbor's house. The boy had been badly hurt and spent a few weeks in the hospital before his court hearing. Neither she nor Oliver had cared about the car.

"That's not true, son…"

"I'm not your son!" He yelled and broke free from the hug. He wasn't. Yeah, he loved her and she him, but the fact was that Oliver was never actually going to commit to her. He was never going to have a mother, and he certainly didn't have a father. The teenager had truly had enough and ran to his bed, hating himself and the world for the next couple of hours.

He was about to go to sleep when Dinah walked in to the room, with a certain blond man behind her. The green eyed boy was immediately tense, especially when he noticed their serious faces.

"Hey, I thought 'Family Day' was supposed to be fun…where are the hot-dogs?" Ollie suddenly smiled, throwing Roy for a loop. Maybe he shouldn't be surprised, Oliver **was** good at being charming, obnoxiously so, when he wanted to be. He was good at making Roy feel loved, and important, and like he was the best son...but Oliver also had a short attention span. He'd neglected Roy so many times. The first time Roy had really felt it was when Oliver left for weeks to vacation with his best friend, Hal...Roy had been 13. He'd been alone and afraid.

"-Maybe if you had come on time." Roy couldn't help but glare at the man. How dare he stand there, after 4 fucking months, and pretend?

Oliver however, just sat on the bed, with Dinah sitting on the other side of Roy. "I know...I tried. I'm here now, though." Another hypocritical smile.

"I've missed you, kid. You behaving?" If Oliver remembered right, his son would be out in 2 months.

"...Yeah, I guess." He hated himself for always forgiving the man as soon as he showed any kind of interest.

"Good. As soon as you're out, Dinah and I were thinking we could go on vacation."

At that, Roy tensed and felt a wave of fear, and anxiety. They were going to go on vacation? Sensing the misunderstanding, Dinah put her hand on his shoulder.

"All three of us, Roy."

"Yeah, wherever you want. Arizona? Philadelphia? New Zealand…?" Oliver guessed, trying to remember his son's favorite places, and not his own.

"Um...wherever, I guess." He wouldn't believe it until they were on the plane...and maybe not even then. The attention was weird for him and suddenly his shoelaces were incredibly interesting. Oliver had taught him how to tie his shoes.

"Cool"

"...Yeah." Roy shrugged, unsure, but when his dad leaned in to give him a hug, it was happily returned. He had opened his mouth to ask him about how HE had been when Dick walked into the room, with a furious Jason behind him, yelling. The two raven haired boys paused when they saw the 'strange' scene in the room.

"Oh. Sorry." Dick apologized, while Jason simply rolled his eyes and walked out of the room in a huff.

"Wait, you're Bruce Wayne's boy, aren't you?" Oliver asked Dick who had been about to follow his brother out, but stopped out of ingrained manners.

"Yeah…You're Roy's dad?" He didn't know what else to say.

"Yes, and I know YOUR dad, actually. We attended the same boarding school." Ollie explained, though Dick had zero interest in the conversation. Bruce hadn't shown up. The man was NOT his father.

"Oh."

"We're actually working together at the moment… he's investing in my new company" Oliver droned on, excitedly while everyone else in the room just looked around like he lived on a different planet- and he kind of did. There he was in his expensive suit, pretending all of it was normal and that they were just in their living room, chatting.

"Dick doesn't care, O." Roy rolled his eyes.

"You two are friends?"

"Yeah... we got here the same day/" Roy explained, annoyed.

"That's funny." The blond commented before Dick nodded and then left as soon as possible, there was something patronizing about the man's tone as if 'that's funny' was short for, 'you two could have met and become friends at a charity ball, or while me and Bruce talked business, but instead you've met in jail. Congratulations. You both suck.' ...or something like that.

* * *

After Dick had made his speedy getaway, the small family actually relaxed a bit more. Roy told the man about his new friends, while Ollie explained more about the new Division of Queen Industries, and their 'exciting, innovative projects'- his words.

Still, even if the topic bored the teenager, he was happy- genuinely so. It wasn't until Dinah noticed the time that she went and sat next to Oliver squeezing his hand in a sign that they really had to tell their son their news, or there wouldn't be time. Every instinct she had told her this wasn't the right time or place, but when would be?

"So, we actually wanted to tell you some good news..." The man started, and Roy immediately scrunched up his brows and pursed his lips. That did NOT sound good.

"You're getting married? You've made that announcement to me at least 5 times..." He'd stopped being excited about it after the 3rd proposal that hadn't led to a wedding. His parents really were the worst.

"Close." Ollie shrugged, and then laughed awkwardly until Dinah pinched him. They had practiced. Oliver was supposed to first tell him how much they loved him, how much Oliver would always be there for him, and -

"Dinah's pregnant."

She cursed under her breath, that was so not the plan...

"Roy? We wanted you to be the first person we told and we lo-" She tried to get it in, but Roy's expression had already turned dark. Of course that's why Oliver had come, to throw it in his face...

He was the failure kid, the adopted child that always messed up and nobody wanted him anymore, and now they were pregnant with their miracle baby and they were going to tell him to find a new place to live after he got out of juvie and they hated him. They hated him. They _hated _him. Roy was sure of it.

To Be Continued...


	4. Chapter 4

A/N:

I have to dedicate this chapter to "TheBatThing", because thanks to her, I was thinking of Batman this morning, one of my favorite things to think about, haha, and I managed to finish this chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

_"Dick's the funny, nice one."_ -Jason Todd, Tim Drake

* * *

"So what? She's pregnant. Shit happens." Jason shrugged, not seeing why Roy was so personally offended by it. The broad had gotten knocked up, no biggie. The group had made the mistake of asking Roy what was wrong during lunch. The kid had spent all morning in "time out" after some 'struggles' at breakfast, struggles meaning that he had overturned a table and thrown a chair at one of the windows.

"..."Roy couldn't even fully form his thoughts, so instead his scowl deepened and he refused to speak, moving his food around and considering repeating his actions from the morning.

"Jays, leave him alone- "Dick tried, but his brother just didn't see the problem. At least Roy's parents had _shown up. _Bruce hadn't- and the next time he saw him, the man was getting punched in the face.

"They obviously just got careless, don't take it personally. I mean, come on, I doubt they actually wanted a baby..." The youngest teenager couldn't imagine ANYONE wanting one...

"She can't have any." The red haired boy whispered.

"Hm?" Suddenly all eyes were on him.

"I mean...she... they couldn't." He was trying hard to keep himself together. "So, if she's pregnant, it's because they really, _really _wanted a biological kid. He must have thrown so much money around..." because Roy wasn't enough. He wasn't enough for them. Oliver...

He remember being 9 or so... Oliver had sent him to his room early that night, punishment for being 'rude at dinner' or some dumb shit like that. Roy had gone upstairs, but hadn't gone to his room, because it was really scary at night. He'd sat at the top of the stairs, ready to run to his room in case Dinah and Oliver decided to go to bed. That's when he'd heard him. Talking about wanting them to get married, maybe having a kid that was "theirs". He hadn't understood much, but it was clear enough that Dinah had said she couldn't have any, and she'd asked if he still loved her. Oliver reassured her that he did- and that Roy was a 'hell of a kid.'

He'd blocked that night from his memory, or so he had thought, but now, facing the situation, that night was on the forefront of his mind.

"Don't worry Roy, I mean... out of everyone in my family...I think it's just my little brother who genuinely loves me." Conner 'helped'. It was true though, Jon had been the only saving grace in the horror movie that was his life. Jon didn't lie. Not like Clark, the way he pretended that he was this perfect, saint of a man, who always did the right thing even if no one was looking... bullshit!

Jon didn't pretend, or force things, the way Lois did. Jon was the only person that Conner would miss if he never returned home.

"Yeah, Roy..." Dick finished his juice before looking at his friend. "I mean, Jason is a total lunatic-"

"Hey!"

"-but, he's _my _lunatic." Richard laughed poking at his brother. "And, honestly, he's my best friend. He's the person I know I could go to with the worst of situations."

"Like if you killed someone, I could help you bury the body" Jason agreed, shoving his older brother.

"Yeah...I worry when you say things like that." Dick replied and the two were suddenly full on roughhousing. It did _nothing _to ease the anxiety and anger and bitterness building up inside Roy Harper. This wouldn't be like Conner and his little 5 year old half-brother, who obviously adored and admired the teenager.

It wouldn't be like Jason and Dick, who were both adopted, and had forged a friendship of brotherhood from shared experiences and a mutual contempt for their adoptive father.

This would be, Oliver and Dinah forgetting his existence because suddenly they wouldn't have to settle for a broken, messed up, angry teenager. They'd have a child that was everything Roy wasn't- related by blood.

* * *

Bruce Wayne stood in the waiting room of Central Star. He had planned on attending family day on Saturday, but there had been an _emergency at work. _It wasn't that there weren't plenty of capable employees at his disposal that he could delegate to, but... he was the head of the company. He had a _mission _to make his father's company thrive.

Alfred had been on the phone with him during his drive over. He wasn't happy- and an unhappy Alfred was never a good thing for Bruce Wayne. He'd love to blame the boys somehow, but maybe that wasn't fair.

He'd asked to see Dick first, because, well...Dick was forgiving. He was happiness and grace and optimism. Jason on the other hand...

At best, they had a tepid relationship. He loved all his sons equally. Despite Jason and Tim's constant accusations that he loved Dick best. He could admit that Dick gave him more peace than the other two.

Still, when Richard Grayson was brought out to the large area where Bruce had been waiting, neither felt relief. They were allowed to walk around the grounds, so without a word, without a hug, Bruce walked. And Dick followed.

Of course the youth was bitter. The man had given up on him, and the thing was, he wasn't even mad for _himself._ He was mad for Jason, and even Tim. Bruce had lost his parents when he was young, yes, he'd gone through unspeakable trauma, but hadn't they all? Why was it always _his _job to bring joy into their dreary world?

"How are you?" The question was clear, but the intention was not. It made Dick frown and look around the grounds instead of at his father. It was a sunny day, the warmth of the sun kissed his skin and he wished he was anywhere else. There had been a time when he wanted to spend every waking moment with Bruce, and he knew he belonged in the mansion. The mansion with the backyard that never seemed to end, and the butler who was more of a grandfather, and Bruce. Bruce who made him feel important.

None of that seemed real anymore though, and Dick couldn't imagine ever wanting to live there again.

"Mm'Fine."

"Speak up, I can't hear you." Bruce admitted, stopping suddenly and turning to look at his son. He looked leaner. Perhaps weight loss or maybe just a growth spurt. His dark hair was messy, and blue eyes were as clear as always, though they weren't smiling. When he'd first adopted Dick, the little boy would walk around with cloudy eyes and a grimace. It didn't take long before Dick found himself being able to enjoy and appreciate life again, despite his traumas and heartbreak- Bruce had always been amazed, and a bit envious.

Dick had been a product of love and good cheer. His parents had made sure to instill goodness in him. Bruce wasn't sure when he'd managed to destroy all of their good work, but looking at his son now, well, it was obvious that Bruce was largely to blame for the person standing in front of him now.

" I. said.I'm. Fine." It was clear enough that Bruce recognized anger and a feeling of betrayal in the tone.

"Good. How's your brother?"

"You're going to have to ask him yourself, Bruce."

"Is there something you want to say to me, Richard?"

There was an dark silence that followed that question. He didn't want to make the man feel worse than he deserved or anything, he didn't want to stir up old drama or get slapped in the face- all of that was more Jason's jam.

Still...

Still...

"Yeah, Bruce! There is!" The yelling was unexpected. "You _fucking _suck_! _Why are you here? Why the _fuck_ are you here?!" The tears even more so.

To Be Continued...


End file.
